Climate
Tasmania enjoys a temperate climate with the four seasons more pronounced here than anywhere else in Australian. The average summer temperature (December to February) is 21C and in winter (June to August) the average is 12C.  Tasmania enjoys more hours of sunshine per day than any other state. Rainfall varies considerably throughout the island with Hobart averaging 626mm (24") while parts of the west coast average 2400mm (95").

Location
Tasmania lies south of the 40th line of latitude, in the path of the world's cleanest winds - before our shores, the last land touched by the Roaring Forties was the southern tip of South America, thousands of kilometres to the west.
Separated from mainland Australia by the 240 kilometre-wise Bass Strait (whose islands, King and Flinders, are part of Tasmania) Australia's smallest State is about the same size as the Republic of Ireland, and about twice the size of Switzerland.

Population
Our population of around 487,000 is roughly split between the south and north. The main centres are Hobart (the capital city, with 203,500 people), Launceston (98,500), Burnie (nearly 18,000) and Devonport (around 25,000).